Donald Trump: Gunman flew drone over rally site – US media

Author, Yaroslav Lukiv
Role, BBC news
6 minutes ago

The gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump flew a drone over the shooting scene before the shooting, law enforcement officials have told US media.

According to CBS, the BBC’s American media partner, it is still unclear whether Thomas Matthew Crooks did this hours or days before the fateful demonstration in Pennsylvania on July 13.

Trump, now officially the Republican presidential nominee, said he was saved “by luck or by God” when a bullet pierced his right ear during a campaign speech.

The attack killed one bystander and seriously injured two others.

Crooks, 20, was shot dead at the scene by security agents, who are being closely monitored as part of the precautions taken to protect Trump at the rally on the outskirts of the city of Butler.

Kimberly Cheatle, head of the National Security Agency, has been summoned to testify before a U.S. House committee on July 22.

The Wall Street Journal reported that investigators told CBS they are still trying to determine exactly when Crooks flew the drone.

They said they expected it to take place within a few days of the meeting on the Butler Farm Show grounds.

Other US media, also citing security services, claimed that the plane flew over the area on the day of the event.

The shooter is believed to have used the drone to select the best line of sight to the podium where Trump would speak.

The criminals fired multiple shots from the roof of a building just over 130 meters (430 feet) from Trump.

The drone, which was later found in the shooter’s vehicle, is now being examined by detectives.

Also found in the shooter’s vehicle were two explosive devices, a tactical vest and four magazines filled with the same ammunition used in the attack.

The development comes after US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas responded to allegations from “some people” questioning the presence of women in law enforcement.

He praised the “highly qualified and trained” women who serve at every level “and who risk their lives on the front lines for the safety and security of others.”

During the Butler shooting, multiple female officers were part of Trump’s security protocol, protecting him after shots were fired and escorting him from the stage to a nearby security vehicle.

A number of social media users, including influential American conservative activists, later suggested that female agents were not the most suitable candidates for a job in the Secret Service.

“There should be no women in the Secret Service,” one such activist, Matt Walsh, wrote on X. “They should be the best of the best, and none of the best of the best in this job are women.”

Some also criticized recruitment practices, which placed too much emphasis on diversity, equality and inclusion.

Mr. Mayorkas said the Department of Homeland Security “will continue to recruit, retain and promote women in our law enforcement ranks with great pride, focus and dedication to the mission.”

“Our department will be better off and our country will be safer,” he added.